Yankees’ Williams on DL

New York Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams was put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of a sprained right knee.

Williams was leading the American League with a .455 on-base percentage and his .353 batting average was second only to the .379 of Texas’ Ivan Rodriguez.

His roster spot will be filled by highly touted rookie outfielder Ricky Ledee, who was called up from triple-A Columbus.

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Barry Larkin says he would rather win a championship than retire as a Cincinnati Red.

The Reds have spent months slashing their payroll, now down to about $22 million, and General Manager Jim Bowden said he has looked into trade possibilities at the request of Larkin’s agent, Eric Goldschmidt.

San Diego Padre General Manager Kevin Towers said he and Bowden exchanged messages about Larkin, but that Bowden inquired about some untouchable prospects in the Padre system, whom Towers declined to identify.

One of the prospects Towers won’t part with is Matt Clement, the Padres’ minor league pitcher of the year last season.

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An hour after his last outing Saturday, Tampa Bay Devil Ray pitcher Rolando Arrojo learned that his family was free, escaping Cuba to join him in the United States.

Arrojo’s mother spent 12 hours floating in the Caribbean along with his brother, his sister-in-law and their two children.

He had not seen them since he defected in 1996.

Arrojo, who defected from the Cuban national team during a pre-Olympic tour, has rejoined the Devil Rays in Boston and is scheduled to start against the Red Sox today.

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Seattle activated outfielder Jay Buhner, who has been sidelined since April 6 because of arthroscopic knee surgery, before Thursday night’s game against Oakland. To make room for Buhner, the Mariners optioned outfielder Dave McCarty to triple-A Tacoma. . . . Former Dodger Darryl Strawberry was sued for $100,000 in Los Angeles federal court Thursday by celebrity lawyer Robert Shapiro. Shapiro, best know as a member of the O.J. Simpson defense team, contends Strawberry didn’t pay him for his work in negotiating an end to the outfielder’s contract with the Dodgers in 1994. . . . Harry W. Anderson, an outfielder with the Phillies and Reds in the late 1950s, has died at 66.